1. We should never lose sight of the fact as MMA as a sport, is ultimately grown men (or women) fighting each other for money. No athlete should ever be faulted for declining to participate in a fight that they are not 100% comfortable participating in. On the other hand, MMA blogs are quoting Jon Jones for saying the following on Twitter in May of 2010: "Just to clear the record i've never turn down a mma fight against anyone and never will.." He shouldn't be faulted for turning down a fight with Sonnen if he thought it was a bad idea to take the fight, but it's perfectly fine to call him a hypocrite for having said that in 2010.

2. Chael Sonnen showed what is colloquially described as a warrior's spirit by stepping up to take that fight, and he deserves praise for that. He's also an opportunist who stood to gain far more from taking that fight than Jon Jones stood to gain from taking it--and stood to lose far less than Jon Jones from a loss in that fight.

3. The cancellation of the pay-per-view is disappointing and financially harmful for fans (who may lose money cancelling airline and hotel reservations, deposits on party rooms, etc), other fighters on the card (who spent money on training camps for fights that now won't happen), and all of the UFC partners who lost money on this deal. It's unfair to put too much of that impact on Jon Jones, though: Ultimately, UFC's inability to replace a Jones-Henderson main event with a satisfactory alternative was a failure of contingency planning on Zuffa's part. Both fighters could have been injured in the waning days of their training camps, rather than simply Henderson. Given the impact cancellation would have had on outside parties, Zuffa should have had contingency plans in place to preserve the event as a whole even if its five-round main event dissolved.

4. Going forward, it sounds to me like the UFC could work around some of these issues by designating (and announcing!) an alternate fighter for main events of cards like this one. UFC's frustration with Jones stemmed from him unexpectedly declining a fight; Jones declined the fight because he did not have adequate time to train for his opponent. Had UFC announced Sonnen as the alternate at the same time Hendo was announced as the #1 contender, Jones would have already agreed to the replacement fight before Henderson was injured, and would have had an opportunity to structure his training camp to prepare for both possible fights. Or, at least to declare up front that he was not willing to train for an alternate and would therefore not fight at all if Henderson backed out with an injury.

5. How all of this results in Vitor Belfort getting a title shot is beyond me. It seems to me like even after Machida declined the fight, Rua and Gustafsson both should have been ahead of Belfort in line for a shot at Jones. Belfort's 5-1 run at 185 pounds (and catchweight) was not bad by any means, but he hasn't won at 205 against a well-ranked opponent since he stopped Randy Couture with a cut at UFC 46 in January of 2004. Sonnen's case at light heavyweight isn't much better, but Sonnen wasn't offered a UFC 152 fight at all. His option was 8 days notice or nothing. Why Belfort is a better contender with three extra weeks of notice deserves a better explanation than "after cancelling on Mandalay Bay, we felt like it would have been bad form to make the biggest fight possible at the Air Canada Centre." I almost feel like if that's the only fight they're willing to give Jones, they would have been better off simply saying "Jones refused to fight the best contender we could offer him, so we're going to leave him off our cards until we're able to crown an interim champion. The next fight we offer him will be against that person."

Fri Aug 24, 2012 11:13 am

tommi teardrop

Joined: 12 Apr 2007
Posts: 2218
Location: Las Vegas

I'm calling bullshit on this feigned outrage toward Jones from the UFC. I think they knew the event would need to be cancelled and this is just a way to build more hype around Jon Jones and his future opponents. I've suspected for a while that he will turn heel and take Floyd's role in the UFC. It's something the UFC has avoided for a while, but this stuff is great for hype. Manufacture storylines just like boxing/wrestling. They have officially painted Jones the spoiled selfish champion.

Now think how huge a fight in 2013 with Sonnen will be. The UFC needed to create rivalries for Jon Jones. All this happens and Jon Jones has opponents for all of 2013. He can fight Vitor now, then Machida, Henderson, Shogun or Gustafson, and then Sonnen. And that gives them a whole year or more to build up a younger guy or get someone to move up or down to that weight class. By then maybe Jones just moves to heavyweight. He can stay the heel and be the guy you root against or they can say that he learned from his mistakes and has
found salvation as the people's champ.

This cost them money, but the anticipation will build and the storyline is great now.

I think it's crazy to ask your young talented champion to take a dangerous title fight on 8 days notice.

Fri Aug 24, 2012 11:54 am

JohnSchwan

Joined: 05 Dec 2005
Posts: 667
Location: Baton Rouge, LA/MA

Also, when your trainer who helped you get to the point where you're at tells you not to take the fight, you don't.

Fri Aug 24, 2012 12:58 pm

anomalyLoserface

Joined: 22 May 2008
Posts: 2625
Location: DFW, TX

OMG! I'm within 4 miles of Cowboys stadium. I must make it to this event.
It's like.....like it was meant to be. Yeah, fate. Yes!

There's no way Condit's beating GSP.

Fri Sep 07, 2012 8:14 am

ecapataz

Joined: 14 Jun 2006
Posts: 1960
Location: Bonn, Germany

I'd love it if GSP loses to Condit.

Fri Sep 07, 2012 7:59 pm

Eric B

Joined: 30 May 2005
Posts: 1327
Location: Omaha, Ne

Anderson Silva vs Stephen Bonnar as a fill in fight at UFC 153. What an awful fight. I guess Dana figures witnessing Spider walk through someone will give people their moneys worth.

Thu Sep 13, 2012 8:13 pm

al(phonic)

Joined: 12 May 2005
Posts: 779
Location: maine

Eric B wrote: Anderson Silva vs Stephen Bonnar as a fill in fight at UFC 153. What an awful fight. I guess Dana figures witnessing Spider walk through someone will give people their moneys worth.

i dont get it either. maybe it came up by silva wanting to show he will take a fight any time for the company (vs the jones fiasco). maybe bonnar is the closest look-alike of chael. maybe its to get a quick fight to line up with gsp. maybe hes moving up and they are starting him with an easier LHW

whatever the case, there are plenty of LHWs id like to see him fight...and bonnar isnt in my top 10 of that list

spinning uppercut KO 2nd rd

Fri Sep 14, 2012 5:08 am

anomalyLoserface

Joined: 22 May 2008
Posts: 2625
Location: DFW, TX

Damn, Overeem just got fucked uuuup! That was good to see. Good for Bigfoot.

Sat Feb 02, 2013 10:39 pm

al(phonic)

Joined: 12 May 2005
Posts: 779
Location: maine

i literally jumped up laughing and holding my notebook up high like a championship belt. i can't stand even the sight of overeem. i was so pissed when bigfoot looked so slow and dumb and inactive, expected a body shot to drop him then a ref stoppage.

so pumped i was wrong!!!

he says he was just playing D and waiting for overeem to gas

was great to see alistair crumple undereem

Sun Feb 03, 2013 10:27 am

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